MISCELLANEOUS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8088, 28 September 1894, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

Tubes ot glass made by lightning arc often found in a.iud. The electricity passes into tlio ground and melts the silicious material, forming little pipes, the inside diameter ot which represents the " bore " of the " thunderbolt." Such tubes, measuring as much as 27ft in length, have becu discovnrcd. A striking story of tho virulence of the plague in Chim* is told by n native paper. , In one house a family of eight persons died, .ind thy only survivor was a girl. A thiof broke into the house in search of plunder, and the girl promised him that ho could take everything in tho place i f he would go and buy coffins for her relations with money which she gave him. When the thief ret'trned, having ordered theeoflins, he found the girl dead, and he himself fell a victim to the plague while ransacking tho house. A small boy, returning homo from school for the holidays, had ocoasion to bake a cab from bho sbation. After ho had paid hia faro the following conversation took place : l{ Cabby ♦' I'd like a bit for myself, «ir, jusb to drink your hoaltih. Christmas time, you know, air." Smalt Boy—" Oh, yes, how much will thab take? Half a sovereign do ibi" Cabby — Thank you, sir, and God bless you." Small Boy— "Quito welcome, cabby. Horo's the first instalment." Hands him twopence. LLo: "I think bhat ofben people, from being a good deal togobhor, come to resemble one anobhor, Don't you believe Uml; bo<mby iasomebimes branaferrod, as ib were, in bhab way ?" Sho : " Woll, 1 don'b know. Bub afber you and Miss May took thab stroll in bhe garden lasb night, some of hor rougo was on your cheeks !" Miss de Copps— « Mm Bunting ia vory plain, I hoar." Miss Hardheart) —" Woll, she's so comely bhat hor diamonds won't sparklo when sho wears bhoro." A club for bed-riddon invalids hue beon formed in Chicago, lb Is called bho " Sbayabod " Club, but is not, ay its name would suggest, a olub of Wiy people. Ifc ig ft Q organisation oorupw>d of the bed-riddon. Tho quallQoationfl for membirahlp are confirmed invflldiem and tho ability to communl' oato w th tho othor raombere by letter, l^ch member wrltoa aomething each dav, and bho letbora aro in oonotanb ofrculutioo. In bho museum a(j Cape Town io ohowa an old-faohioned, higlnbaoked woodon ohair, to which attaohoa u weired story. It iu rolabod that bbo chair io the ono in whioh bbo Duioh Governor do Noordo waa found oil fcloq dead a tow moments after thVexooution of a uoldior whom ho had sonteneed bo , bo hanged, and who, on hlo doom belnj? j pronounced, oolomoly called upon his oonderaner to accompany him to tho T'jrooo of the Supremo Judge, Balievo, nobhiog ogaiuati anothor but oo good authority ; mr report , whab may hurt another, unless Ib bo a grea'er hurt to another to conceal lb. Charily ia never lost. Ib may bo of 1 no uso to bhoao lb io beafcowod on, yet it over does o Vprk of beauty and groco upon tho heart of bue giver.